Feasting on Art

When considering the colour green, there are a number of connotations that are promptly conjured; green is the colour of money and wealth, through which one can become ‘green with jealously.’ Likewise, it is the colour of nature, growth, and life and one can have a ‘green thumb.’ It is within the secret green porcelain of China, called mi se meaning ‘mysterious colour’, that the two connotations of the colour intersect. Mi se was produced in the 9th and 10th centuries in China and was reserved for only the Emperor to see – let alone use – and the porcelain was so secretive that first verified example was not discovered until 1987. The porcelain was more valuable than gold and silver although its popularity ‘stemmed partly from the Chinese tendency to mythologise art, in order to appreciate it better (1).’ The green colour of mi se was derived from a small amount of iron in the glaze and the porcelain itself was obtained from nature. Mi se ‘comes from the mountains – from their earth and their forests. The wood was used for firing…and the clay was used for the body of the porcelain. But the two together – as wood ash and kaolin – were also used for the glaze that makes up its delicate skin and jade-like colour (2).’ This green porcelain of the earth represented the pureness of nature yet was an elusive commodity that embodied the wealth and power of the Chinese elite.

Lin Fengmian, Still Life, 1988
ink and colour on paper, 68.3 x 68.3 cm, Private collection

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On the surface, the small bar in Newtown, Sydney, filled with antlers and aptly named Moose appears to have little in common with Cafe Felix, an Ann Arbor mainstay known for French-style tapas. The commonality the restaurants share appears in the form of a carefully roasted mushroom, upended to form a small cup and filled with a medley of cheeses. As a college student, I would stretch my food budget in order to indulge in the stuffed mushrooms bathed in a sage-cream sauce at Cafe Felix. The small dish had such an impact on my memory, I tried to recreate it to serve at the first dinner party I held in my first flat. As is always the case, I managed to serve my reconstructed masterpiece to a guest that despises mushrooms. I tucked the recipe away until recently, when an impromptu visit to Moose in Newtown revived my interest. Apart from tasting delicious, this cheese post also serves as a timely reminder that there are only 19 more days until the close of the 2nd annual recipe contest.

Pavlos Dionyssopoulos, Still Life with Mushrooms, 1997
wood, paper and plexiglass, 46.2 x 40 x 40 cm, Private collection

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Beautiful butterflies, stunning flowers, and fruiting trees attract and deflect attention with their often intricate colouration. Targeted for particular audiences, a single color can carry conflicting messages. In nature, orange signals vitamin rich potency and likewise poisonous lethal doses, though it also functions simply as a scare tactic. In works by artist Carsten Höller, orange mushroom caps recall (in gross scales) the natural poisons they indicate. In his 2009 work, Doppelpilzvitrine (24 Doppelpilze) (and in his recent large-scale sculptural installation, Doppelpilzuhr), Höller replicates spliced mushroom pairings in such scientific detail it is difficult to draw the line between artistic endeavor and experimental inquiry. The orange of these mushrooms, the fly amanita, which are the common denominator of his mushroom works, acts as a sign-posting of their Gift. (Gift is German for poison.) Their presentation in pristine glass cases cites research and archival collections, while their grafted halves belay their sequential categorization. From one side of the vitrine an assortment of fungi in varying shapes and sizes are visible, while from the other side the bright orange and white speckled specimens of the rare fly amanita dominate the view.

Carsten Höller, Doppelpilzvitrine (24 Doppelpilze), 2009
145 x 25 x 175 cm, Photo (of side-view): Carsten Eisfeld, Courtesy: Esther Schipper

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To prepare for the fast approaching beach weather here in Australia I have taken up running – even though the very idea is comical to those who know me well. I do not profess to be athletic in the slightest or even very coordinated for that matter (the first few recipes on this blog were made and photographed teetering on one foot with crutches under my arms) but I do give it my best and I feel like I can splurge here and there (milk, butter, cream). This recipe was my little reward for completing my first 10K workout – it is quick, easy, tasty and filling.

Sir William Nicholson, Mushrooms, 1940
oil on canvas board, 34.9 x 45.1 cm, The Tate Collection

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Unintentionally the majority of the recipes on this blog have been vegetarian. I find that when I cook for myself I rarely eat meat but my partner is hungry an hour later if there is not a substantial amount of protein in the meal. With the exception of the spring onion crespelles, which contained bacon in the ragu as a flavoring, this the first recipe here on Feasting on Art to feature meat. The still life paintings depicting poultry and game are not the most attractive and I foresee a struggle with my photographic recreations. I managed to come up with a solution for the dead hen but I don’t always think it will be so easy. I hope you enjoy this warm and filling recipe.

Giacomo Ceruti, Still-Life with Hen, Onion, and Pot, c.1970s
oil on canvas, Private collection

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